Glass Half Empty or Half Full: The "Honor Bar" in the Fairmont Gold Lounge

Flashback: three weeks ago to my last lounge experience in the closing KLM lounge at DTW. The hostess threw her hands in the air and declared to her co worker that the last costumers had opened two water bottles, dumped them into a plant, then filled them completely full of Grey Goose Vodka. The co worker shrugged and walked off.

Meanwhile, in the present, I was pouring myself a glass of red wine, and realized, this wasn't an open bar, it was a no host bar. The lady next to me filled her wine glass to the brim. Seriously, she had to sip before she walked away in order not to spill. I have been schooled well in the art of the pour, and you never fill more than half way.

I looked at my little ticket. I had to tick off my wine brand and initial my 5 oz. pour.

5 ounces? How much is 5 ounces? Maybe it is a whole wine glass, but somehow, I doubt it.

So, am I stupid to be pouring half a glass? Should I be filling it up, because I can and no one is watching?

Cat Pee

A while back, we had to replace a mattress. While on vacation, one of our two cats decided that it made a really, comfy cozy litter box. If you know the smell of cat pee, you know that there was no saving that mattress. Of course, we pointed the finger at our grouchy, territorial older cat Patch:

She is not a cuddly cat. She is thin and wiry. She hunts and wanders the great outdoors. She is also a very vocal cat--she will let you know.

Years ago, when we first brought home a new kitten, Sara, Patch was having nothing to do with it. We followed all of the directions. Put the new cat in one room and blah blah blah. We tried everything. Nothing worked. 3 years later, we still have the warring kitties.

They openly stalk each other, and it is no game. Sara wants to be friends, Patch wants to get the heck away from her. After a while, when Sara had given up the idea of friendship, Sara was just trying to drive Patch crazy.

Yes, this is Sara. You can carry her around by her tail, dress her in all kinds of crazy clothing and she will be purring in your arms. But, like all super nice people, Sara has a dark side...

Her dark side is peeing all over the place now that we are done with the renovation. I unrolled a brand new wool carpet, and Sara walked right over, looked me in the eye and peed on it. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.

The next day, she peed on the next new carpet. I freaked out, but didn't let her know it. But, I freaked out. The next thing I was on serious carpet inspection. There is a cat pee spot on every new carpet in the house. The spots I saw right away, seem to be doing fine, but the pee that has sat there for I don't know how long, is not going away.

I've scrubbed and sprayed and tried all of the internet advice on cat urine. Two carpets I'm pretty sure are completely ruined. Now I'm just terrified about what I haven't found yet, and I have one more carpet yet to come. Ugh!

We are all experiencing Post Traumatic Remodel Syndrome. I understand where Sara is coming from, but I can't afford to replace one more thing.

A New Favorite Spot For The Dog

Since our renovation, Kiki has found a new place to hang out!

The More You Change, The Longer It Takes: Ending The Remodel

Things are looking pretty good around here. Our house is truly transformed. Even though we live in a cool, landscaped place, I still wouldn't recommend the remodeling process to anyone.

People keep asking me when it will finally be done. I tell them, when the check bounces. I think these guys will keep finding things to do until we are completely bled dry.

Of course, we were the stereotypical home owners during a remodel. "Wow, wouldn't that doorway look better over there? It seems like this window could be better if it was bigger. Why don't we paint the living room puce. Oh, wait, paint over that puce color and make it green again, please???"

We keep finding things to "change order." A couple of years ago, I didn't know what a change order was.

Yes, I did say a couple of years. We have been in flux for two years now. We've been quite flex with the flux. Now, we need to put the last boxes away and settle back into real life.

We can't afford food, furniture or utilities anymore, but we have a lawn and a fountain and a non-leaking roof over our heads.

Good Bye 2011...Possibly. Hello, Hopefully...

It's finally time to say good bye to a lot of things:

1. Good bye to to the POD that has taken up most of our drive way for the last 7 months. We will see if it is truly gone in two days. Possibly...

2. Possibly, good bye to the contractor, though I do love our team of great guys. I've had enough of coming face to face with them every morning. Rain or shine. Happy or grouchy. I have to smile and look sane, even if I'm in bunny slippers and and a fluffy robe yelling at my kids to get to school.

3. Possibly good bye to not knowing where anything is. My life has been shuffled and stuffed, hauled and mauled for the last two years. Complete strangers viewing my bra and underwear collection is bound to be over soon, right?

4. Possibly think about why I do not need to deal with miscellaneous crap and meaningless drama. Who needs that extra baggage? I've packed and lifted enough lately, forget bringing me extra stuff.

5. Possibly re-lizing and re-aligning what is truly important. I'm tired of running in circles trying to keep up with the invisible hamster wheel of craziness. Just because you are on the road, don't mean you have to keep driving in the wrong direction.

6. Hopefully saying hello to lots of time with family, good friends and quality time.

7. Hopefully saying hello to regular sleep and a life full of no boxes, packing or unpacking.

Fa La La La BLAH! My Christmas Dreams & Thank You Very Much!

OK, I have my own Christmas dreams. They include simple things, like watching Scrooge with Albert Finney once a year. I love the idea that you can be a total Scrooge and the spirits can fix you in one night. It just is not a total and proper Christmas without the song Thank You Very Much sung by the townspeople through the streets of this re-hashed musical version of the Dicken's classic.

Right now, my husband needs a visit from the three spirits, and Marley, too. I'm trying to get him to watch any version of A Christmas Carol with me. His reply: "We have at least four versions of that stupid movie, I'm going to watch football."

It doesn't take much to crush my Christmas dreams, but I need someone who finds the hope and magic that comes with the ghosts. I need to believe no matter what hair brained things I've done throughout the long year of 2011, that even I can be transformed into a new and better version of myself.

And if I'm looking for improvement, why can't everyone? Why can't we all thank the spirits and get on with it? Why can't we all buy into a little magic now and then? It's free, or maybe just a small fee on Netflix.

Thank you very much! Get rid of the Fa La La Blahs, grab some hot cocoa and watch A Christmas Carol.

Holiday Spirits: Get Out Of The Way

I hate shopping at this time of the year. This is essentially when I feel like online shopping was truly invented for me. I would rather sip my coffee, point and click and order than go anywhere near a mall in December.

I have already had my car backed into. Watched a lady get rear ended. And, if I listen carefully, I can hear all kinds of honking. Drivers are not patient, they are crazed and just want you to get the heck out of their way. Fast.

Beyond the parking lot, are the lines full of anxious shoppers. Today, I thought a man had only one item, I asked if he would like to go in front of me. "Thanks," he said, and proceeded to go in front of me and ask for something out of a special cabinet. I know, because I had to wait with my three lonely items on the conveyor belt while they got his "special" tequila out of the back cabinet.

Now, generally, if you know me, you know I appreciate good tequila. Please don't, however, accept to go in front of me in line if you are going to take 10 minutes finding your item while I wait for you. Not cool.

That tale tell energy is out there again. People are crazy, impatient and kind of mean. Ladies seem incredulous if I hold the door for them. Salespeople are incredulous that I'm not yelling at them about charging me for someone else's avocados.

Ugh. I do love hibernating this time of the year. Stay home, bake cookies and dream about the good old days with Web Van, that sounds about right.